The Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change on Communities of Color in Washington State (Report)

Summary

There are immediate and discreet threats from climate change that are likely to disproportionately impact communities of color and people with lower incomes. There are also much deeper foundational threats to our communities from climate change that stem from economic and social opportunity gaps that have persisted and compounded over generations. This report finds that:

Communities of color and people with lower incomes are on the frontlines of climate impacts happening now like drought and increased temperatures that reduce air quality, cause illness and create hazards for workers in construction, farms and fishing.

Communities of color and people with lower incomes have less ability to adapt to climate change, which acts as a threat amplifier to social and economic disparities.

The legacy and persistence of discriminatory housing, education and employment create conditions where communities of color live and work in neighborhoods and jobs that are least protected from extreme climate related events.